Hervey Bay Local Health News

A drug overdose can occur when more of a drug (or a combination of drugs) is taken than the body can safely handle. While this can happen with some prescription and over-the-counter medicines, the illegal drugs pose the biggest risk as you have no way of knowing their quality or strength. Read the information on this card to learn more about the drugs most commonly involved with overdose, and how overdose can be avoided and managed.

The two main types of drugs involved in over - dose are depressant drugs and stimulant drugs.

Depressant drugs - reduce activity in the nervous system examples include:
*    Heroin
*    Morphine
*    Methadone
*    Sleeping pills
*    Benzodiazepines e.g. Valium, Serepax 
*    Alcohol.

An overdose of a depressant drug slows the nervous system down to a dangerous level. This can stop a person’s breathing.

Stimulant drugs - speed up the nervous system, examples include:
*    Amphetamines
*    Designer drugs (e.g. ecstasy)
*    Caffeine
*    Nicotine.

An overdose of a stimulant drug speeds up the body, sometimes to a dangerous level. This can cause high blood pressure, a rapid heart rate and increased body temperature.

Important
If a drug overdose has been taken or you suspect someone has taken an overdose:
*     Try to stay calm.
*     Dial 000 and tell them you need the ambulance service.
*     Tell the ambulance service where the person is.
*     Tell the ambulance operator the person’s condition -are they breathing? Do they have a pulse? This will determine priority.
*     Tell the operator a drug overdose has occurred.
*     Tell the operator if you know what drugs have been taken and if possible how many.
*     Stay with the person until an ambulance arrives. You may have valuable information for the ambulance officers which could save time. This could be the difference between life and death.

If you are worried someone might have overdosed, but you don’t think they need an ambulance, watch them very closely and check on them every few minutes. Call an ambulance if you have any concerns.

Who is at risk of overdose?
An overdose can happen just as easily to an experienced drug user or an inexperienced user. In most cases of fatal overdose with drugs such as heroin, other drugs are found in the blood stream at the same time. While too much heroin can cause death, a mixture of drugs (a drug ‘cocktail’) is often more dangerous and its effects are unpredictable.

How a drug affects one person may be different to how it affects someone else. It can depend upon:
*    The tolerance of the user i.e. how sensitive their body is to the drug, and how often they’ve been using.
*    The quantity of the drug taken.
*    The mix of drugs i.e. what other drugs they have taken which would still be in their system.
*    The way the drugs are taken e.g. injected, swallowed or inhaled.

Treating heroin/opiate overdose
If a person has overdosed with heroin or other opiates, the drug Narcan can reverse the effects of the drug immediately. Once the Narcan wears off, it is possible to slip back to the original overdose condition, especially if heroin is used again soon after.

Narcan is the brand name for naloxone.
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Vomiting and diarrhoea usually occur as a result of a bacterial or viral infection of the gut. Vomiting may last for 4-6 hours and loose, watery bowel motions (diarrhoea) can go on for three or more days. Stomach
pains or cramps may also occur.

The body can lose a lot of fluid through vomiting and diarrhoea, causing dehydration. Dehydration can cause serious, even life-threatening illness, especially in the very young or very old. Ask a pharmacist about suitable treatments for the family.

Causes
Viral infections of the gut - Viruses are common causes of gastroenteritis (’gastro’). The infection starts with sudden onset and often vomiting occurs before any diarrhoea. Often the first symptoms are those of a cold and perhaps a cough. In most cases the infection is short-lived, lasting 2-3 days, although diarrhoea may last a little longer.

Bacterial infections of the gut - these infections are the cause of food poisoning. Symptoms usually occur 12-48 hours after eating infected food. There is a sudden onset of frequent diarrhoea, stomach pains (often described as a ‘colicky7 pain) and vomiting.

Other infections - In some patients, especially infants and small children, diarrhoea and/ or vomiting can be a sign of serious illness, such as blood poisoning. If a child appears very unwell, or is not taking fluids orally, or there is any cause for concern, see a doctor immediately.

Chronic diarrhoea - Recurring or persistent diarrhoea may be as a result of an irritable bowel or inflammation of the bowel. See a doctor if there are frequent bouts of diarrhoea or if diarrhoea persists longer than 2-3 days. In rare cases in adults, a chronic change in bowel habit can be a sign of cancer of the gut. If this sort of change occurs, see a doctor straight away.
 
Medicines - Some medicines may cause diarrhoea and vomiting. Stopping some medicines may also cause diarrhoea. Those who suspect any medicines may be causing vomiting or diarrhoea should talk to a pharmacist.
Other causes - Excess alcohol and anxiety are other possible causes of diarrhoea.

IMPORTANT  
See a doctor if you have diarrhoea when:  
*    Bowel motions contain blood.  
*    You are losing weight.  
*    It is severe with dehydration.  
*    It persists longer than 2-3 days - - earlier for the elderly and the very young (under two years of age).  
*    You have severe abdominal pain or a high fever (greater than 38°C).  
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